Mountainside Youth Leadership Group 2013

Jord is part of the cute youth leadership group at her school.  I am fortunate enough to be the parent over the group and I love it!  These kids are the most delightful, fun and polite children ever!  We meet every other Monday and I look forward to every meeting!  The group will often open assemblies and are supposed to be an example of respect to all the students in the school.  Here they are opening up the first assembly of the year.

In the middle of October we took the MYL to BYU to a Youth Leadership Conference.  Several years ago I went with Taylor when she was part of the group.  I had been looking forward to it for years!  I know, that sounds strange but this conference is THAT GOOD!  I truly loved every second of it!!

 Jord and Ali waiting for our favorite speaker to start.  Jason Hewlett is his name and we have been singing his song for the past 4 years.  Jordan was so excited to meet him AND he knows Jeff so he gave Jord a little special treatment.  

 Jason's presentation was titled "Head to Heart"  He shared how when children are little they act from their hearts and then as they get older they begin to function to much from their head.  He said when we function from our head we are listening to what the world has to say that is negative about us and we in turn hold ourselves back.  WOW!  So true!!  Love him!

 What is you signature move??

Do not worry about the raptors walking by

 The kids had so many fun experitential activities.

Jord has had a great year so far.  Here are a few additional facts about Jord in 4th grade:

She is a fashion diva.  She is so picking it often drives me crazy!  I wonder where she got it:)

 Jordan's class is probably my favorite ever!  Her class is full of the cutest kids with awesome parents. Here she is doing a book report at school.

 Jord and her friends watching 1D.  Wow!  She is growing up!

National School Lunch Week.  Yes, she drank Diet Coke for lunch!  

So far, Jordan's best year ever!  

Ryker's Eagle Scout

We are so proud of Ryker!  We earned his Eagle Scout award.  Several months ago we were all able to help him with his project which was a great experience!  His Court of Honor was awesome and I appreciate the example he is to me and all of his cousins!

Congrats to Ryker!  He is such an awesome young man!  LOVE HIM!!

Jordan's field trip to "This is the Place"

I was able to go with Jord on her field trip to the "This is the Place" and the Hogle Zoo.  It was such a fun time!  4th graders are at such a fun age!  I try to get every chance I can to do these sort of things with Jordan.  It won't be long before there are no more "field trips"  I will enjoy every moment I have!

 The park was really fun and the kids got to do some neat things!  Here is Jordan's class pulling hand carts.

 Kennedy, Gracie and Jordan

 Here is the crew waiting to go into Hogle Zoo!  Such a fun day!!!

UEA October 2013

I love St. George.  I love that the warmth, the  mountains and the feel of home without the responsibility.  For UEA Kim, Jill, Tonia, my Mom and myself took all the kids down to the St. George house…  Sorry..  No Warren Jeffs this trip!

We pretty much sat around, ate and let the kids swim.  We did get out of the house for at least 1 activity per day.  Here we are at Jumpin Jacks

 I guess this is what teenagers do at a place like this!

The next day we did a little hiking in the red rocks at St. George.  The weather was perfect!!

 Love this photo.  Red rocks, blue sky life is great!

 Jord is so darn cute!

 Love these 3 girlies!

 Jill and I took ,Jord, Sam, Reagan and Anders on quite the little hike.  We may have had to slide down the rock mountain but we made it down!  Note that lack of Taylor's presence here.  All she wanted to do was "sleep in!"

Tonia and Hayden joined us but I don't have any pictures of Hayden because he was riding some skateboard thing down a mountain most of the time!  

Here we are at the Natural History Museum at the Dixie Convention Center.  It was such an awesome place!  I would totally go visit again!

 HUMP DAY!

 Jill never lets us down!

 Oh Jord, ever the ham!

Here are all the kids at the entrance to the museum!

After the museum we went to a park that our friend recommended.  We called it the twirly park.  It was super unique and fun.

What a fun trip to St. George.  I am never ready to come home!  I mean NEVER!!  It is so fun when we can all go and spend time together!  Until next time…..

Happy Birthday Chaser!!

Wow!!  Chase turned 23 today!  I truly can't believe it!  When Jeff and I met he was 15.  A short time after we met Chase came to live with Jeff full time.  What a blessing for me!  I really got to know Chase and live life day to day with him.  I was not lucky enough to live with him for the first 15 years of his life but I get all the rest!  It has been so fun to watch Chase graduate high school, move cross country to attend college, graduate college and start his first "real" job!  WOW!!

Here of a few photos of Chase during the past few years:

 Chaser is funny!  Every Christmas he puts on EVERY article of clothing he receives as a gift!!  

 Chase loves his Dad.  I can't blame him!  Jeff is pretty great!  Chase is grateful for everything and always says Thank you!

Chase loves to snowboard, wake board and do anything that is athletic.  He is very good at everything he tries!  This is one of my favorite pictures of Chase and his friend Cade.  They have known each other since birth.  Now Cade is married, has served a mission and is attending Utah State.  Chase  has graduated College and is working in Texas.  They are both awesome people and life was never dull with the 2 of them around!

Chase loves his friends.  Here they won some dodgeball tournament (I think) on a cruise we went on!  These kids are all such good kids and I miss having them at my house!

Chase loves his family!  All of the little kids in our family totally look up to him and LOVE when he is here!  Mitchy especially absolutely loves when Chase is home!  

 Chase loves to read.  He is always in a good book!

Chaser is funny!  I wonder where he gets it!! (Uncle Greg, Chase and Jeff)

 Chase is smart!  Not only is he smart but he works very hard!  Here is his at high school graduation!

 Here is Chase the first time Jeff and I went to visit him.  He was a Freshman at Virginia Tech!  I loved the 3 visits I had to see Chase at school!  

In the past year Chase graduated form Virginia Tech in Mechanical Engineering!  What an incredible two days that was!  WOW!! So Proud!!  It is not every day you send your kid across the country to go attend school.  This great day made it all worth while!!

 Chase is always nice and respectful to me!  Trust me, I don't always act as if I deserve it!  I sometimes get texts during the day just so say he misses home.  I loved having Chase as home during school breaks and in the summer!  

 Here is Chase when we dropped him off at the airport to move to Midland, Texas!  Wow!  Just like that he is an adult!  He has worked so hard since moving and is doing really well!!

Chase's first picture she sent us after arriving in Texas!

Jeff is meeting Chase in Denver tomorrow for the weekend.  The Broncos play Chase's favorite team the Redskins on Sunday.  I am jealous!  I miss him!

Happy Birthday Chase!  You should be proud of the person you are, I certainly am!  Not a day goes by that I don't think about Chase and miss him!  I consider myself blessed to have a role in his life and only pray that I can fulfill that role well!  

I love you bud!  Hope you had a great day!!